In a ruling covered by reports from pravo.ru, the arbitration court prohibited Gennady Petrakov, the individual entrepreneur who runs the moskvich.ru domain, from using the Moskvich brand in connection with the site. The decision centers on protecting the brand rights associated with Moskvich and preventing consumer confusion in online spaces.
The Moskvich plant asserted that its intellectual property rights to the Moskvich mark had been violated by the domain holder. Petrakov contended that the page had not offered products or services since 2001, arguing that the site no longer operated as a marketplace for Moskvich goods. Nevertheless, the court found that moskvich.ru redirected visitors to a site that carried a different name yet sold spare parts for Moskvich cars, which contributed to confusion with the Moskvich trademarks. The panel concluded that the domain name was used in a manner that could mislead consumers about the source or affiliation of the goods, and it accordingly barred the domain owner from continuing to use the site name in ways that could harm the Moskvich brand. This outcome underscores the vigilance required when domain names touch on established automotive brands and their associated trademarks.
Earlier communications from Moskvich raised questions about the new model name for the upcoming vehicle line, specifically asking what designation would be assigned to the body of the new model Moskvich 6. Meanwhile, observers noted that the Lada X-Cross 5 crossovers were expected to reach dealership floors by the end of 2023, signaling strategic product launches within the same market segment. These developments illustrate how brand names, model designations, and dealership timelines intersect in the automotive sector, influencing both consumer perception and brand protection strategies. [citation attribution]